When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II

When Books Went to War tells the story of books sent to American soldiers during World War II. After America entered the war in 1941, librarians launched a campaign to donate free books to troops, collecting 20 million hardcover volumes in response to an enemy that had banned and burned 100 million books. Two years later, the War Department and publishing industry created Armed Services Editions—120 million specially printed paperbacks designed to fit in soldiers' pockets and rucksacks for use across all theaters of war. These lightweight editions were widely read by troops in various settings: while awaiting deployment at Normandy, in Pacific battle trenches, in field hospitals, and on bombing flights. The program lifted soldiers' morale and had lasting effects on American literature, helping rescue The Great Gatsby from obscurity and establishing Betty Smith, author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, as a national figure. The Armed Services Editions remain fondly remembered by veterans today.